Citi Simplicity® Card Review

Citi Simplicity Review Summary: Citi Simplicity is one of the best 0% credit cards on the market, allowing you to avoid interest on new purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 months. It doesn’t charge an annual fee, either. But Simplicity isn’t for everyone. You need at least good credit to qualify. And a 3% balance transfer fee complicates that aspect of things. Still, applying for this card before a big-ticket purchase could therefore save you a boatload in interest.
Below, we’ll explore this card’s many strengths and few weaknesses in greater detail.

Long 0% term. The Citi Simplicity Card offers 0% interest on new purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 months your account is open. That gives you more time to pay off balances.

3% transfer fee could prove quite expensive. The Citi Simplicity Card’s 0% intro rate is better for new purchases than balance transfers simply because there’s a 3% balance-transfer fee. So if you want to reduce the cost of an existing balance and get out of debt faster, make sure to crunch the numbers before pulling the trigger. Simplicity might still be one of the cheapest choices, but it’s worth considering options that have shorter 0% terms and no transfer fees.

$0 annual fee makes it easier to pay off debt. The less you spend on fees and interest, the more you’ll have for monthly debt payments, and the sooner you’ll be debt-free.

Good credit or better required. You need at least good credit to even have a chance of getting approved for the Citi Simplicity Credit Card. If you don’t know where you stand, you can check your credit score for free on WalletHub.

High regular APR. The average credit card for people with good credit charges interest at an annual rate that is just above 19%. The average credit card for people with excellent credit charges just under 14%. So you’re bound to overpay on interest if you carry a balance from month to month once it’s 0% intro periods end. We’ve already established that you need good or excellent credit to qualify.

Finally, it’s worth noting why you shouldn’t pay much mind to Simplicity’s lack of late fees. Fees are far from the worst side effect of not paying your bill on time. Rather, you should be more concerned about credit score damage, considering that missing due dates is one of the easiest ways to hurt your credit. Besides, the people who need this type of feature most may not have the good or excellent credit need to qualify.
So we recommend focusing on interest rates, annual fees and balance transfer fees, if applicable. And if you need some help avoiding late fees, check out WalletHub’s on-time payment tips.

That is a difficult question to answer and one that customer service won’t give you much information about. The credit line that you will receive if approved will be based on your credit history and disposable income, and the card’s terms and conditions state that limits as low as $500 are possible. With that being said, we’ve seen reports of people with similar credit scores receiving credit lines of anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000. Hope that helps!

Cardholders are generally eligible for credit limit increases after six months of on-time payments, but that doesn’t mean you will necessarily be granted one, let alone proactively. Your best bet would be to call customer service at 866-696-5673 and ask. For more information, check out our article on How to Get a Higher Credit Limit: http://wallethub.com/edu/how-to-increase-credit-limit/25857/

If the bankruptcy is still on your credit report and thus influencing your credit score, it is unlikely that you will be able to qualify for this card. You can check your credit score to see if you have the “excellent” standing needed for approval by signing up for a free WalletHub account: https://wallethub.com/free/. WalletHub is the first and only website to offer free credit scores and full credit reports that are updated on a daily basis. Hope this helps!

Previously having one credit card from a given issuer does not guarantee that you will be accepted for another card from that issuer in the future. Each credit card has its own approval criteria. The Sears MasterCard, for example, requires good credit for approval while you need excellent credit to get approved for Simplicity. So you’re in the ballpark, but it all depends on how your credit profile has changed since you got the Sears MasterCard. Best of luck!

Yes, you are eligible to apply for another Citi Simplicity card but keep in mind that your current Citi Simplicity account would need to be opened for at least 18 months before applying. Hope this helps.

You can do so online by going to https://online.citi.com/US/JPS/portal/Index.do# and clicking ““Forgot user ID or Password”. You’ll then be guided through the process. Just make sure to have your card handy, as your account number will be required to verify your identity.

This is a personal credit card, but you can open an account in your name and use it for business purposes. Personal credit cards are particularly well suited for financing, as they are covered by the CARD Act and thus benefit from its protection against arbitrary interest rate increases on existing balances https://wallethub.com/edu/card-act-guide/25814/) . With most business credit cards on the other hand, issuers do not have to wait for an account to become 60 days delinquent before increasing the cost of existing balances held on it. That in turn fosters debt instability, which is problematic when you consider that you’ll be held personally liable even for business credit card debt.

With that being said, we still recommend business-branded credit cards for everyday company purchases given their business-specific rewards and accounting features, not to mention the freedom they give you to customize spending limits for employees and then benefit from their spending. You can compare our favorite offers here: http://wallethub.com/best-business-credit-card/ . Hope this helps.

3.7 out of 5

What A Joke. Definitely LISTEN to the reviews posted here. Citi is a joke. My credit score is 720s, make over $125,000/year with no rent or house payment. And they approved me for a credit line of $3,000!!!! Don't waste your hard inquiry on your credit. Not only that but the card says "the variable APR will be 15.24% - 25.24%, based on your creditworthiness.1" Can you guess what my rate was?!?!?! Yep.. 25.24% What a crock of crooked dunny.…read more

The representatives are useless. Every time I speak with someone there I get a different response. Maybe they should get their shit together so they stop costing me money. I have cancelled my card with Citi.

Great card as long as you never have any disputes. Had a dispute and they kept closing it stating they never received my notification or details. I had faxed and emails which confirmed delivery and they still refused to intervene. After over six months, it was impossible to dispute this charge with the merchant.

Bottom line - there are other cards that will support you so go with them!

Worst customer service ever. Called to apply and transfer 2 balances from other cards once I was approved. The girl added $1000 to my balance transfer. When I questioned her, she said it's done and she cannot change the amount. On the phone for one hour and a half with multiple people. No one would help me, change the amount of balance transfer, or even let me cancel the entire transaction due to my disgust.My questions were left unanswered and they told me to call back another day or wait until I received my card. Is there anyone I can report this Horrible customer service to? I have good credit and don't need their card.…read more

I have a credit card rating of 830 plus.I always pay my cards in full each month. CITI website is full of inconsistencies with misleading statements. I aplied for an autopay more than 2 weeks in advance to pay for a a bill that was due. The autopay ignored it thereby charging me a $40 interest on the due date. It again charged me an interest of $37 after the next billing cycle even when the autopay has kicked in and paid in full. The account manager said that it takes more than a month for the autopay to set in. Unsusual!!! Other credit card companies require a miimum of 2 weeks for the autopay to set in. THOU SHALL NOT USE THIS CARD.…read more

I decided to apply for the Citi Simplicity card because, at that time at least, I was give 0% interest for 16 months for balance transfers. Since transferred $4,500 from another card that was charging me over 25% interest at the time, so this was saving me a lot of money each month. The only thing I would improve is if they gave me even longer with the 0% interest, which I see is now at 21 months. But I would definitely recommend this card to others looking to pay off their high-interest credit cards faster. You just have to keep in mind that if you don't pay if off before that time period that they give you the 0% interest, than all of your accrued interest will be added onto your balance, so you want to avoid that. So far, no problems with customer service, too.…read more

I originally got this card back when i started my games resale business and needed and extra influx of buying power to secure some bulk deals for resale. I ran into issues a few months after getting it as it seems to dislike mobile phone card readers and some websites deney it outright as it's not seen as a valid card by them(no idea what that's about).

I just applied for this card and the application process was very quick and easy online. I was approved for $7,000 dollars. The option to transfer my balance on one of my bank credit cards with 21 months of no interest is a blessing. I am currently paying $35.00 dollars in interests fees a month that could be going towards the balance. Very pleased indeed.

I gotta admit, when I first got this card I ran out to best buy just to try out the "chip" that they've put inside of the card. It's the first credit card that i've had that's got a chip inside of it. After the novelty wears off, I realized that I still have a very decent credit card. The 0% intro APR and No Late Fees Ever has been a true blessing. Still waiting to see what will happen after the 21st month, I will try and update on here to let you guys know. But so far, this card is my favorite to pull out of my wallet. Thank you Citi Bank !!…read more

This credit card company, like all credit card companies waits for you to be late on a payment and then punishes you severely by jacking up the rate. I was late on ONE of my payments and I had a very good reason for it.

This card is great as long as you are not late on your payments. The introductory 0% APR on purchases for the 1st 21 months is awesome as long as you maintain it. However, what my APR becomes after the introductory period being anywhere from 12 to 23% APR means I may only be using this card for the first 21 months.

I chose this card because of its 21 month zero interest on transfers, Also because of no annual fee, no late fee or penalty rate. Approval was quick and easy. What I do not like is the variable interest rate after the 21 months but is is still more reasonable than many other cards.

The Citi Simplicity card is great if you are trying to pay down some debt. You can get over a year and half with zero percent interest. That is amazing if you have debt sitting on 6% or more. I would just try not to transfer more than you can handle since it then goes up to 12.99% or higher. Otherwise, the card seems a little weak because of the lack of rewards for additional spending. Of course, if you are trying to get out of debt, you may not be purchasing anything on it anyway.…read more

What attracted me to this card is the almost two years of no interest. Combined with the lack of late fees and low transfer fee it makes a great option for paying off any accumulated debt while keeping it on one card.

The lack of rewards program is too bad but it definitely makes up for it.

This is an awesome credit card. No annual fee is a wonderful treat to someone who takes care of his credit and financial needs. It is among many of the other great benefits provided by Citi Simplicity. The low interest is a fantastic thing and allows me to use the credit card in a responsible manner.

In my opinion, The Citi Simplicity credit card has the stability and usefulness of the best card I have used. The low interest rate is one of the most favorable aspects but no fees and penalties is just as awesome! I have been a customer for the last 5 years and they have competent customer service which makes any card hard to compete with on this comparison.

I like that this offers No late fees, penalty rate, annual fee - EVER. Cash advance APR is a bit high compared to my capitol one card and the variable APR is also a bit high. This card however offers no rewards where as both my discover and capitol one do. These days they all have to offer rewards or very low APRs to be competitive.

I really have fallen in love with my Citi Simplicity card. This has been one of the best cards that iv'e found to use, with very low amounts of fees and charges. There is no annual fee, as well as no late fees. The customer service is also excellent, which also plays a huge factor for me determining on where I want to get a card from.

Citi Simplicity® CardThe Citi Simplicity® Card is simplicity at its best. For the first 21 months, Citi offers you 0% APR! Some other incredible features of this truly simple card are 0 late fees, 0 penalty fees, and 0 Annual fees, and a small balance transfer fee!With your Citi Simplicity® Card, Citi gives you Citi Price Rewind within 60 days on purchases that go on sale after you make them. Your card is made even more convenient with Citi's Apple Pay™ capability.You don't have to worry about unauthorized charges and identity theft. Citi has you covered with zero liability for those fraudulent charges and will help you get your credit back. And, with Citi's EMV chip technology, your Citi Simplicity® Card is even more secure.You can elect to have extended warranty coverage added of up to a year on your Citi Simplicity® Card, choose your payment due date, and get automatic account alerts.When you are traveling, you can rent cars wherever you go, worry-free, with your Citi Simplicity® Card Worldwide Rental Insurance, and feel protected with Citi's Traveling and Emergency Assistance.And, as always, you can call Citi® Customer Service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why not try to become a Citi® member today and apply at 1-800-492-2127?!…read more

I needed a card for an unexpected, big-ticket purchase, and came across this one. With its no annual fee, no late fees, and a 0% APR for 21 months on purchases, and after reading the reviews to see if this was legit, I knew this was the card I was looking for.

The Citi Simplicity credit card might not be an exciting card like some of the reward cards out there (Capital One Rewards card for example) but it has the most solid foundation I've seen for a credit card. Not only do you have a low interest rate but no kinds of fees ever, late/penalty or otherwise. That's amazing! Combined with excellent customer service and a long window for 0% intro APR and you have a card that is hard to compete with on the basic level.

If you're looking for a solid, no-frills, low-interest card. This is the card for you.…read more

I have been a member for several years. I like that it doesn't have a annual fee and a reasonable APR. It also offers extra security protection with a chip, provides an extra sense of security. The reward system could be a little better. I have the Chase Freedom Card that offers 5% cash back and I accumulate a lot more quickly. The website could also use a revamp, not the most user-friendly.

I haven't received my card yet but it seems like a great deal. Basically there aren't any late fees or penalty rates, and the interest rate is particularly low. This sounds like the perfect card for a struggling college student like myself. What college student isn't struggling anyways? Citi Simplicity is the perfect name for this card because they make things simple which is the way they are supposed to be. I wish there were rewards but honestly they're rewarding you enough.…read more

I do not currently use the Citi Simplicity Card but I am signing up for one. At first I thought, "What no rewards", but when I take into consideration that the interest rate is well below many other cards I've viewed and that there are never any late fees, penalty rates or annual fees that is reward enough for me. This card is a no brainer for anyone who wants to get the most value for their spending. It almost seems unreal. Oh yeah, and after I receive my card and use it a few months I will come back to share my experience which I know will be great.…read more

This is one of the best credit card I have used. The Citibank Simplicity card has lived up to what it stands for, just simply amazing.and the interest rate is lower than others. The customer service is one of the best. Always helpful and friendly. I would recommend anyone who isn't sure which credit cards is right for them, give this one a try., you'll glad you did! There are other great rewards with this card. Apply today and you'll agree. I am a very happy customer..Thank you…read more

Although I am thrilled in my circumstances to have any card this is one of the best credit cards I have ever used. My credit had been shot with the help of my now ex-husband. After two long years of re-building I finally was eligible to receive an unsecured card and chose the Citi Simplicity Card. I am always on time so I don't need to worry about a late fee but it is nice to know that if for some reason I was late there would be no outrageous fee to worry about. I love that there is no annual fee. The customer service is great and I have NEVER had that experience. The fact that there are no rewards does not bother me. It is not something that I look for in a card.…read more

At first I really was concerned about getting this card. I didn't like that there are no rewards and I also read many other reviews from previous customers, and saw mixed results. However, after I got this card I was surprised that I was so pleased. The customer service is great, and as some other customers have stated, they don't slap you with a large penalty as long as you pay within a reasonable amount of time. I also really liked the no interest introduction and the no annual fee. Overall I have been pretty satisfied. Like I said though, I would love to get some rewards and that is why I am not giving the card a five star rating, but a four star. Add rewards and I will write a new review!…read more

I'm really surprised with this Citibank simplicity card. I've had Citibank before and dropped it because of the excessive fees, interest, and hard to get a hold of customer service. Well, Citibank must have noticed the drop in their customers and decided to do something about it. The card actually doesn't give you any penalty rate or late fee if you miss a payment (as long as you pay it within reason). It's not the best for balance transfers and the grace period is a little short at 23 days, BUT as far as their customer service and new stance on fees go, this is really a groundbreaking new idea for Citibank. With this new turn I'd recommend rolling the dice with them again if you were like me and dropped them before.…read more

The Citi Simplicity Card lives up to its name. I like that it has 0% interest rates ion purchase and transfers in the first 18 months. After the first 18 months, there are still fairly low user fees. I don’t like that the card has absolutely no rewards program because I feel like I am losing out on cash back if I were to use this card. However, the 24-customer service, no annual fee, no late fees, and 23 day grace period really do make the Citi Simplicity Card a good option if you want a card that is easy to use.…read more

The City Simplicity Card is an all around great card for anyone who is looking for an affordable why to spend money. You pay no interest for 18 months and the interest rate ranges for 12.99%-22.99%. Customer service is available 24 hours a day which helps when you have issues with purchases and card use at odd hours of the day. You also get a 23 day grace period, which is at the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to credit cards.…read more

I signed up for the Citi Simplicity card due to the promo they were running that offered eighteen months no interest financing on both my purchases and my balance transfers. Citi seemed to have some issues offering me a card with a decent limit but after some back and forth with them I was able to push it to a higher more useful level. This allowed me to consolidate my outstanding credit card debt onto one credit card, and pay it off quickly. Also it allowed my credit score to increase since my credit utilization went down after paying off the outstanding debt.

The zero percent interest allowed to me to also buy a new TV that I need to replace an older one. This was the better card to use than a Best Buy credit card or any other store credit card, because of the warranty protection that Citi offered which allowed me to double the warranty that Samsung, offered on my TV at no extra cost. I save money do that as opposed to buying a protection plan or extended warranty from the store. Also it allowed me to get price protection at the same time which meant that if the TV went cheaper during the next sixty days I could get the difference. Best Buy only offers price protection for 14 days and that's with only certain retailers. Lastly Citi offered to cover the TV in the case of theft or damage for the first ninety days which my renters insurance would cover but at a deductible that might not make it worth it.

The downsides to the Citi Simplicity card is that it does seem difficult to get someone the phone that can actually do something for me. When I first applied for the card they only offered me a two thousand dollar credit limit. This seemed pretty useless to me since the capital one card I already have, has a much higher limit and it wouldn't allow me to transfer my balance. After about a week of conversations with the their customer service and reaching out to higher level customer service members, I was finally able to reach someone that could assist in raising my credit limit. It does seem like most of their customer service operations are located in India which does make it difficult to understand the person, I am talking to. The other major downside to this card I would say is the lack of a rewards program like most other credit cards offer. Bank of America offers me 1 percent on all my purchases and 2 percent on my gas and groceries which makes it the card I generally use for day to day purchases. Citi seems to be trying to hedge against rewards with their VIP program which offers exclusive concert ticket, sports tickets, and some VIP parties. This doesn't seem nearly as useful especially when you consider that you have to spend more money to use these features. At the end of the day this seems like a good card to use for large purchases but not for day to day use.…read more

The Citi Simplicity Card is great for keeping these simple and easy. No need to worry about fees and penalties and the introductory APR is great for transferring a balance and paying it off easily. There other cards that offer late payment forgiveness, but you only get a few chances for forgiveness, not unlimited. This is great value even with the lack of rewards. For other cards you usually pay more in fees than you get back in rewards. With low interest rates and no late fees, this is a great card to have.…read more

I just received my Citi Simplicity card a few weeks ago. This card is exactly as advertised, because it is very simple. I don't have to worry about a bunch of extra fees. I can use it anywhere, and I am a very happy customer. Out of all my credit cards this one is by far my favorite. Citibank has simply outdone itself with this credit card. I award the city simplicity card 5/5 stars overall. I would advise anyone to find a card that is more forgiving out there, and presents the user with lower fees. If you do find a better credit card, I would be extremely surprised. Having experienced getting a fee from being one day late, and knowing there is a forgiveness with this card is a huge relief. If you do not currently own one of these cards I would suggest you get the Citi Simplicity credit card now.…read more

We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. When you click "Apply Now" you will be directed to the offering institution's website. In addition, keep in mind that actual rates and other information may vary for a number of reasons including the applicant's' creditworthiness and differences between an individual's situation and the criteria/assumptions used to generate the information displayed. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.

Ad Disclosure: Offers originating from paying advertisers are noted as “Sponsored” at the top of this page. Advertising may impact how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Irrespective of whether an offering institution is a paid advertiser, the presence of offer information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsement of the institution by us or vice versa. Furthermore, offers have not been reviewed or approved by the offering institution. Information is displayed first and foremost to help consumers make better decisions.

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer. In addition, it is not issuer’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. When you click "Apply Now" you will be directed to the offering institution's website. In addition, keep in mind that actual rates and other information may vary for a number of reasons including the applicant's' creditworthiness and differences between an individual's situation and the criteria/assumptions used to generate the information displayed. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.

Ad Disclosure: Offers originating from paying advertisers are noted as “Sponsored” at the top of this page. Advertising may impact how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Irrespective of whether an offering institution is a paid advertiser, the presence of offer information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsement of the institution by us or vice versa. Furthermore, offers have not been reviewed or approved by the offering institution. Information is displayed first and foremost to help consumers make better decisions.

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not provided, commissioned, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer. In addition, it is not issuer’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.